What are your thoughts as an employer on the new employment measures? Can the measures be fine-tuned or improved, and if so, how?

FROM a socio-political standpoint, it is clear why the authorities have implemented the Fair Consideration Framework, which aims to give Singaporeans fair consideration for PME jobs and deter discriminatory hiring practices. The new higher qualifying salary for Employment Pass holders does not come as a surprise as the government had previously hinted at it. As a business leader and an employer, I’m naturally concerned about how these new measures will increase staff costs and add to already rising business costs.

In addition, this new framework is likely to worsen the manpower crunch for local workers, as firms try to fill positions with Singaporeans and PRs to avoid having to pay these higher-qualifying salaries for EP holders. Now as purveyor of recruitment and human resource solutions, however, I foresee that the tighter local labour market may lead to a greater demand for PrimeStaff’s recruitment services, as we are in a strong position to help companies find the right talent through our extensive database comprising pre-qualified Singaporean and PR professionals across various industries.